Games

Main series

The first game in the series was Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance. In the game, two new villains, Cackletta and Fawful, steal Princess Peach's voice. Mario and Luigi jump into the action and travel to the Beanbean Kingdom to stop them. It is later found out that Cackletta had stolen Peach's voice to awaken the Beanstar, a powerful star that can grant all wishes, such as letting Cackletta rule the world, that is awakened by a pure voice. Princess Peach happened to be the one with the "Pure" voice.

The third installment, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, was announced at Nintendo's Fall Press Conference on October 2nd, 2008.[1] While Mario and Luigi are still playable, Bowser becomes the central protagonist in this game as he attempts to reclaim both the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms from Fawful, who used an outbreak of a disease known as the Blorbs as an opportunity to launch his own evil plot for world domination. Fawful later gives Bowser a Vacuum Mushroom, making Bowser inhale everything around him, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and other characters.

The fourth installment, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, was announced during February 14, 2013's Nintendo Direct.[2] Due to the shift to 3D, the game uses a new art style. In this game, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toadsworth go on a trip to Pi'illo Island, where the Bat King Antasma has turned many residents into stone, and kidnaps Peach. In order to save the Pi'illo Island folk and the princess, Mario must explore both the real, tridimensional world, and the side-scrolling world in Luigi's dreams.

The fifth installment, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, was announced during Nintendo's 2015 E3 Digital event and features a crossover with the Paper Mario series. The story involves Luigi accidentally stumbling over a book and releasing characters from the Paper Mario series into the Mario & Luigi world. Bowser and Paper Bowser, despite some disagreements, decide to team up, combine their respective Koopa Troop armies, and kidnap Peach and Paper Peach. Thus, Mario and Luigi team up with Paper Mario to rescue the princesses, as well as the Paper Toads. This is the first game in the series to be compatible with amiibo.

Announced during E3 2017, this remake of the original Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is set to be released for the Nintendo 3DS. It features revamped and updated graphics and music, amiibo support, and a new mode where players control members of Bowser's army, in efforts to reunite and rally his troops and find Bowser.

Gameplay elements

The Mario & Luigi series features both brothers responding to a specific input, Mario being controlled with "A" and Luigi "B". Like Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, the Mario & Luigi series features a turn-based battle system. Enemies are encountered on the overworld, and the player can interact the enemy and enter into a battle scene. In battle, Mario and Luigi can attack either by using one of their basic attacks (jumping or with a hammer) or by using a special Bros. Attack (Special Attack in the third game). In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, the Bros. attack consumes Bros. Points (BP) (in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story they are Special Points, and in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time the Bros. Attacks. are instead items). The Mario & Luigi series battle system also comes with the ability to avoid attacks by jumping or counterattacking by using the hammer, depending on the attack. Enemies often signal which brother they are going to attack.

On the overworld, the player can jump using the brothers' respective buttons, and can hammer by pressing another button to switch to the hammer commands. In all four Mario & Luigi games, the brothers can also receive various new abilities to enter otherwise inaccessible spots. For instance, the Mario Bros. can use the High Jump ability to reach higher areas. The overworlds commonly feature various obstacles and platforming challenges that require the player to make use of various techniques to pass them.

Stats

As in most role-playing games, each character has a different stat. When characters level up by earning enough experience points (or alternatively use special items made from beans in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga), their stats elevate. Players can decide which stat to add a bonus via roulette, but they should be aware that the numbers that boost the star will eventually decrease if consistently chosen.

Stats are also temporarily increased or decreased when peppers are consumed or from enemy attacks.

Name

Description

HP

HP, or Health Points, is how much health the Mario Bros., the Baby Mario Bros., Paper Mario, and Bowser have. If HP drops to zero, the brother faints. The fainted brother must be carried if the enemy attacks where he is, making it a slight liability with the battling brother. If all brothers or Bowser have no HP, then it is a game over.

SP

SP, or Special Points, is a stat found only in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. They are used when Mario, Luigi, or Bowser uses a Special Attack. They are very similar to Bros. Points.

This stat indicates the Mario Bros., the Baby Mario Bros., and Bowser's offensive abilities. The higher the stat, the more damage they deal.

DEF

This stat indicates the Mario Bros., the Baby Mario Bros., and Bowser's defensive abilities. The higher the stat, the less damage they receive.

SPEED

A linear stat, Speed indicates how fast the characters are. Characters with the higher speed move first in battle.

STACHE

/HORN

Stache, (or Horn for Bowser) is a unique stat. The higher the Mario Bros. have this stat, the more likely they can deal lucky hits, which deal double the damage. Also, the higher the stat, the bigger discount and bonuses the Mario Bros. can get at stores. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, a higher Stache or Horn stat means a higher chance for winning in Scratch Card.

Items

The series features many items. Items can be obtained if the characters hit blocks, win battles, win minigames, and others. Mario and Luigi can buy items at various shops with coins they earned in battles and blocks. Clothes and badges are earned usually as a prize while key items are needed to advance the storyline or complete a sidequest.

Beans

Beans are consumable items found in all Mario & Luigi games, but in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, special beans are found, and they can be blended in Starbeans Cafe. The Bean Juice made from a blend of these beans can increase stats. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, beans are used to buy badges. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, beans are used to increase stats.

Image

Name

Description

Woo Bean

Woo Beans are usually found by defeating certain enemies, some with the Game Boy Horror SP pin. They are also earned in the surfing minigame.

Hoo Bean

Hoo Beans are found in hidden treasure chests. They are also earned in the surfing minigame.

Chuckle Bean

Chuckle Beans are found when Luigi digs up X marks on the ground. They are also earned in the surfing minigame.

Hee Bean

Hee Beans are found when Mario and Luigi win certain minigames.

Woohoo Blend

Created from brewing 25 Woo Beans, the Woohoo Blend gives 4 HP to the brother that uses it.

Hoohoo Blend

Created from brewing 25 Hoo Beans, the Hoohoo Blend gives 4 BP to the brother that uses it.

Chuckle Blend

Created from brewing 25 Chuckle Beans, the Chuckle Blend gives 4 SPEED to the brother that uses it.

Teehee Blend

Created from brewing 25 Hee Beans, the Teehee Blend gives 4 STACHE to the brother that uses it.

Hoolumbian Blend

Created from brewing 15 Woo Beans and 10 Hoo Beans, the Hoolumbian Blend gives 4 POW to the brother that uses it.

Chuckoccino Blend

Created from brewing 15 Woo Beans and 10 Chuckle Beans, the Chuckoccino Blend gives 4 DEF to the brother that uses it.

Teeheespresso Blend

Created from brewing 15 Woo Beans and 10 Hee Beans, the Teeheespresso Blend gives 6 to a random stat to the brother that uses it.

Badges

Badges can be equipped on the playable characters to give them extra effects or more power in battle. Badges are bought in shops, earned as prizes, or found in defeated enemies. Characters can equip only one badge at a time. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, only the Mario Bros. can equip badges. The badges are part of a gauge that fills when an action command is executed well. When the gauge is filled, the Mario Bros. can use various actions including healing themselves.

Clothing

The main protagonists can also equip clothing to increase stats, such as DEF, HP, and SPD. Clothes can be bought at shops, earned as prizes, or found in defeated enemies. Some clothes are exclusive to Mario while only Luigi can wear others; some clothes are compatible with both. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, clothes can provide extra effects. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, clothes received additional types including overalls, gloves, socks, boots, and accessories for Mario and Luigi, and shells, arm bands, rings, and fangs for Bowser. Characters can equip more clothing if their rank go up (the maximum is three), but they can equip only one of each type.

Characters

Major protagonists

Mario, with his brother, as the series name suggests, is the star of the series. When there is trouble, Mario attempts to solve the problem as quickly as he can, dragging Luigi alongside him. In this series, Mario is a very famous and popular hero, being well-known in various lands. As in the majority of Mario games, Mario is a silent protagonist, but he communicates by body movements and speaking in Italian-sounding gibberish.

Luigi is Mario's younger, lesser-known brother. He often gets dragged into adventures beyond his will. Luigi is more cowardly and more hesitant than Mario, but he is willing to help solve any trouble that has arisen. Luigi's clumsy antics are usually comic relief, but it can be sometimes dangerous, including when he left Baby Luigi alone to Petey Piranha in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Luigi does not speak either in this game, communicating similarly to Mario; only in Dream Team do Luigi's thoughts take the form of words, and this happens only in Dream's Deep and whenever he becomes a giant.

Bowser is a character in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Unlike in most Mario games, Bowser aided Mario and Luigi in reaching the Beanbean Kingdom in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, but after the crash landing, Bowser unintentionally became a rival, being used first by Popple as a minion and then by Cackletta as a body to posses. Bowser is the main protagonist in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, with Mario and Luigi adventuring inside him after he inhales the Vacuum Mushroom.

Mario and Luigi encounter Baby Mario and Baby Luigi in their adventures in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Similar to Mario, Baby Mario often jumps ahead when a problem rises. Baby Mario is impulsive at times, unlike Mario, including when he uses his hammer in misbehavior.

Much like Luigi, Baby Luigi is a more timid brother than Baby Mario. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he is easily frightened, and he frequently cries in troublesome situations. Baby Luigi has shown to be key to destroying the Shroobs in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time when he reverted characters to normal with his tears. He is also shown to know that an object has bad vibes, such as crying at the Cobalt Star because it contains the Elder Princess Shroob inside it.

Originally from the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario is introduced to Mario and Luigi when Luigi tips over a book and releases the Paper Mario characters into their world. Paper Mario is one of them, and he immediately helps Mario and Luigi defeat some Paper Goombas, and the three team up to rescue Paper Toads, stop Bowser and Paper Bowser, and rescue Peach and Paper Peach. Paper Mario can create copies of himself to mitigate his low HP and attack multiple times at once. When dodging, when he jumps, he can float briefly. Paper Mario and the Mario Bros. are needed when performing Trio Attacks, and they also partake in Papercraft battles,

Major antagonists

Bowser is the final boss of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the true main antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, and one of the main antagonists of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (alongside Paper Bowser). In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Bowser is mainly an antagonist, teaming up with Baby Bowser to fight Mario and causing trouble by kidnapping 'Princess Peach' (later revealed to be a disguised Princess Shroob). He is manipulated once again when he is turned into Shrowser by the Elder Princess Shroob. In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Bowser allies with Antasma to take advantage of the Dream Stone's wish granting powers, but it is later revealed that Bowser uses Antasma only to further his own goals. In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Bowser teams up with his paper counterpart to further his plans to take over the Mushroom Kingdom.

Cackletta is the main antagonist in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. She and Fawful had stolen Princess Peach's voice. She has also caused trouble in Beanbean Kingdom by transforming Queen Bean into a giant beast and stealing the Beanstar. After Mario and Luigi defeated her, Fawful took her soul and placed it into Bowser's body, transforming Bowser into Bowletta.

Fawful is Cackletta's servant. He speaks in Engrish and uses many food-related metaphors. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, he steals Princess Peach's voice and helps transfer Cackletta into Bowser. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Fawful plays more of a supporting role. He runs an underground badge shop the Baby Mario Bros. can access. Fawful plays as the main antagonist in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. He has usurped Bowser's Castle while creating an outbreak of Blorbs. He has also given Bowser the Vacuum Mushroom to aid him in his plot to rule Mushroom Kingdom.

The Shroobs are an alien race that has invaded Mushroom Kingdom in the past. They have trapped Toads and extracted their vim to power their technology. They can shoot bolts transforming characters into Shroob Mushrooms. The Shroobs speak a foreign language that Mario and Luigi understand only later in the game. One of the Shroobs major weakness is baby tears.

Princess Shroob commands the Shroob fleet during most of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, and is thus the game's main antagonist. When Princess Peach has traveled to the past, Princess Shroob manages to capture her, but not without Peach trapping the Elder Princess Shroob - the real leader of the shoobs - in the Cobalt Star. It is only after Princess Shroob is mortally wounded in battle that this is revealed, however.

Antasma is a nightmare and the former main antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. He is behind the destruction of the Dark Stone and the freezing of the Pi'illos. Mario must enter Luigi's dreams in order to rescue Antasma's victims, which by the time Mario starts to enter Luigi's dreams include Princess Peach, whom Antasma abducts early in the game. He also teams up with Bowser, and the two villains later set their sights on the Dream Stone, which holds the power to grant any wish. Bowser later reveals that he is merely using Antasma to advance his own schemes.

Originally from the Paper Mario series, Paper Bowser along with other paper characters such as Paper Mario, escapes from the storybook Luigi has accidentally opened. Paper Bowser is the main antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. When he initially meets Bowser, the two bicker, but they ultimately cooperate and kidnap Princess Peach and Paper Princess Peach.

Supporting protagonists

Princess Peach is usually a victim when trouble arises in Mushroom Kingdom. In all games, she is kidnapped at some point. Peach, however, is not entirely helpless, since she has provided help to the Mario Bros. such as warning the dangers of the Cobalt Star and later the Dark Star.

Toadsworth is Princess Peach's companion. He is often worrisome about Peach, especially if Peach decides to take a trip. Toadsworth provides help and advice to the Mario Bros. during their adventures. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Toadsworth's younger counterpart, Toadsworth the Younger allies with Toadsworth and attempts to take care of Baby Peach.

Professor Elvin Gadd helps Mario & Luigi with his items and inventions. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, he gives them a special item after he samples a new drink. His time machine in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time has helped Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach travel to the past. E. Gadd has also invented the Hydrogush 4000 from an event in Thwomp Mountain, which is vital in defeating the Shroobs.

When Princess Peach was a baby, her castle is being attacked by both Baby Bowser and the Shroobs, with Baby Bowser attempting to kidnap her. When Baby Bowser has realized he lost to the Shroobs, he allows the Baby Mario Bros. and Toadsworth the Younger to flee. Baby Peach is taken to safety in the future Princess Peach's castle, with Toadsworth and Toadsworth the Younger taking care of her.

Kylie is a recurring supporting character in the Mario & Luigi series. She appears in Partners in Time in the past as a traveling reporter first encountered on Yoshi's Island. She encounters the brothers several times after this, and is the only person to see Elder Princess Shroob in the Cobalt Star besides Baby Luigi. She returns in Dream Team, oddly not remembering the brothers, in a much more minor role.

Starlow is another supporting character that holds Mario and Luigi's items. She is one of the four Star Sprites shown in the game. She helps Mario and Luigi advance in their adventure by tutorials and advice. After Bowser inhales her, she tricks Bowser by calling herself "Chippy". Throughout the game, she has demonstrated irritation toward Luigi, but started to warm up to him in Dream Team.

Dreambert is the Prince of the Pi'illo people that helps Mario and Luigi in their adventures on Pi'illo Island. He aids them in the Dream World, helping them learn new moves to further advance deeper into Luigi's Dreams and information to aid them in their exploration. His main goal is to prevent Antasma from taking the Dream Stone and using it for malevolent reasons. His role is similar to Starlow and Stuffwell from the past games.

Originally from the Paper Mario series, Paper Peach, along with multiple paper characters, came out of the storybook that Luigi dropped. She initially was frighted by the new world she found herself in, but later on developed a deep friendship with Princess Peach, as well as enjoying the company of Mario, Luigi and Starlow. After the Mario Bros. went looking for Paper Mario, Paper Peach and Princess Peach get kidnapped by the Bowser duo. While held captive, both princesses gossiped about multiple topics, such as their hairstyles, Mario, and getting kidnapped by Bowser.

Supporting antagonists

Popple is an independent thief that often crosses Mario and Luigi's tracks in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. He has befriended Rookie, who is Bowser without his memory. Popple and Rookie cause trouble for Mario and Luigi multiple times, but they often end up getting beaten. When Popple loses Rookie, he teams with Birdo, with Birdo falling in love with him. Popple often ends his sentences with, "See?". He reappears in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team trying to steal a treasure and battling with Mario and Luigi.

Baby Bowser is a major antagonist in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. It is revealed that even as a baby, Bowser attempted to kidnap Princess Peach. During one invasion, however, the Shroobs interfere, and Baby Bowser loses his Cobalt Star Shard. Baby Bowser, with Kamek, follows the Mario and Baby Mario Bros., attempting to steal back the shard.

Elder Princess Shroob is the older sister of Princess Shroob from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, she was trapped in the Cobalt Star by Peach and the bros and babies collected Cobalt Star Shards thinking the star could destroy the Shroobs. But it freed the Elder Princess Shroob who promised to kill the bros for her sister's recent death.

Midbus is Fawful's servant, guarding Bowser's Castle after Fawful has usurped it. Midbus fights Bowser three times in the game. Midbus is strong, but lacking in intelligence; he speaks in broken sentences. He often gives long names for weapons he uses.

Bowser Jr. first appeared in the series as a secret boss in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, but he took on a more supporting role in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. In this game, he fights the Mario Bros. throughout the game alongside Paper Bowser Jr. His role in the story involves taking the book that contains the Paper Mario world from Roy and guarding Peach and Paper Peach in his father's castle. He fights in the player in Papercraft battle in Mount Brr, and as a regular boss in Bowser's Castle. Throughout the game, he develops a friendship with his paper counterpart.

Originally from the Paper Mario series, Paper Bowser Jr. appears as Bowser Jr.'s playmate. After Luigi opened the paper book, Paper Bowser Jr. alongside with his father landed inside Bowser's Castle. As Bowser and Paper Bowser were arguing, Paper Bowser Jr. played together with Bowser Jr. He likes to explore the realistic Mario world, and he hates guarding the princesses.

The Koopalings first appear in franchise in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, acting as encounters through the last parts of the game. However, they have no dialogue or importance to the story. They later appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam as supporting antagonists with larger roles than in their previous appearance in the series. In this game, they (only Larry, Wendy, Ludwig, and Roy) first appear when Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario are knocked out by cannon fire. Ludwig then orders the trio to be taken to a secure location and Roy gives the book holding the Paper Mario world to Bowser Junior. The other three Koopalings are later seen showering the land with paper terrain alongside King Bob-omb. Wendy and Roy are later fought in the prison area where the trio was kept, Ludwig and Larry guard the pipe entrance to Bowser's Castle, and Morton and Lemmy command the King Boo Papercraft. Roy is fought again in a minigame near the end of Gloomy Woods and Iggy, Wendy, and Morton reappear guarding fire ore in Neo Bowser's Castle. All seven of them make a final reappearance as the last Koopa Troop members left capable of fighting the Mario Bros. before the final boss.

Super Mario-Kun

Super Mario-Kun has devoted a few volumes to Partners in Time and Bowser's Inside Story. The art style on the covers even reflect the Mario & Luigi art style (especially seen in the color of Mario and Luigi's insignias). Although the storylines are similar to the story in game, there are multiple variations and twists. General examples include Mario and Luigi being able to speak fully, and Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are capable of talking as well. More specifically, Yoob, for example, is actually a friendly giant Yoshi that Sunnycide manipulates while Tanoomba can transform into clones of Mario and company to cause mischief. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, however, does not have entire volumes devoted to its story.

Similarities between games

The first three games have the playable characters say "Nintendo!" when the game boots up (Mario and Luigi in Superstar Saga, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi in Partners in Time, and Bowser in Bowser's Inside Story).

All five games have their own version of common enemies (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga has bean-related enemies, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time has Shroobified enemies, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story has Fawful-themed, organ-themed and Dark Star-themed enemies, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team has Antasma-themed and dream-themed enemies, and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has paper versions of enemies).

The first three games all feature Bowser as the first boss, so that the player can learn about the basic battle gameplay. During the initial fights of the first four games, Mario learns the action commands while Luigi is occupied with something else (watching in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, playing in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, sleeping in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and dreaming about the fight in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team).

All games have the bosses exploding, and the enemies disappearing or a small explosion.

Fawful appears as a recurring character in the first three games (As Cackletta's assistant in Superstar Saga, as a badge dealer under Princess Peach's Castle in Partners in Time, and as the main antagonist in Bowser's Inside Story).

The first three games and Paper Jam have Mario and Luigi saying "Let's-a-go!" and "Okey-dokey!" respectively when transitioning into a battle.

In games after Superstar Saga Mario and Luigi have a partner that store their items, give tutorials, and also speak in Mario and Luigi's stead.

In the first three games, three versions of Bowser must be battled (Bowser, Rookie and Bowletta in Superstar Saga, Bowser, Baby Bowser and Shrowser in Partners in Time and Bowser, Bowser X and Dark Bowser in Bowser's Inside Story).

Dream Team and Paper Jam takes it two steps forward, with five (Bowser, Giant Bowser, Bowser X, Giant Bowser X and Dreamy Bowser in Dream Team and Papercraft Bowser, Bowser, Paper Bowser, Shiny RoboBowser and Dry Bowser in Paper Jam).

In all five games the main antagonists have an alternative form in their final battle. Cackletta transforms in her spirit, Elder Princess Shroob in a biggest and monstrous form, Fawful in Dark Star Core, Antasma in a ghost and Paper Bowser in an armor.

Since the second game, there are other characters playable over Mario and Luigi. In the second there are the babies, in the third there is Bowser, in the fourth there is Dreamy Luigi and in the fifth there is Paper Mario.

The first four games all have a character who disguises themselves as Peach for one reason or another. In the first Luigi, in the second Princess Shroob, in the third the memory of Bowser and in the fourth Kamek with the Elite Trio.

The fifth game pulls a twist on this, with Peach and Paper Peach using fake Princess Peach decoys to escape from Bowser.

In the first four games Mario & Luigi always end up inside someone (Superstar Saga was Bowletta, Partners in Time was Yoob, Bowser's Inside Story was Bowser and the Giant Sockop, and Dream Team was inside Luigi's dream.) In fact, this serves as the main founding element of Bowser's Inside Story.

The first four games feature at least one Beanish character, although the species itself as a whole only appears in Superstar Saga and Dream Team. Fawful appeared in Superstar Saga as the secondary antagonist, Partners in Time as an underground shopkeeper, and Bowser's Inside Story as the main villain. Popple appeared in Superstar Saga as a rival to the Mario Bros, and Dream Team as a minor character.

Four of the five games have a battle that cannot be won, with Dream Team the exception to this pattern. (Superstar Saga was Fawful, Partners in Time was the three Shroobs and Bowser's Inside Story was Midbus.) In Paper Jam the Paper Goomba Wheel battle cannot be won by Mario & Luigi, and instead must be won by Paper Mario.

All games have Bowser in the same or involved with a similar situation as the Bros at some point:

Developing his own Bros. Attacks with Popple, as Rookie, in Superstar Saga

Partnering up with his younger self while traveling to the past in Partners in Time

Dark Fawful helping Dark Bowser from inside his body, similar to how Mario and Luigi help Bowser from inside his body in Bowser's Inside Story.

Being powered up by a Dream entity (Mario) and unleashing his power through his dreams (Luigi) in Dream Team

Teaming up with his paper self, and even obtaining his own Trio Hammer in Paper Jam.

In all five games, the game does not save after the final boss is beaten, only resuming at the last save before fighting them.

Only the last two games show any indication of the game having been finished, with a jukebox option being unlocked, and Hard Mode in Dream Team.

The third, fourth and fifth games all have two different normal battle themes: the Mario Bros. and Bowser's battle themes in Bowser's Inside Story, the real world and dream world battle themes in Dream Team and a battle theme for the Mario Bros. with and without Paper Mario in Paper Jam.